Why do we need to revisit the Cold War?

Abstract

Since the beginning of 2018, China and the US have engaged in increasingly fierce strategic competition in the economic and security spheres. The competition has extended to the new field of values since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The escalating strategic competition will presumably evolve into a new Cold War between the two powers. The realization of a new Cold War will undoubtedly take a toll on not only the domestic development of the two countries, but also on the entire international society. Thus, it is of special significance to reexamine the origins and the tragic consequences of the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union. In view of the reams of narratives on the history of the Cold War, this paper focuses on how reexamining the Cold War can promote better understanding and management of today's China–US relations.